Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-06-18
DAILY HERALD.
A. COSTLY BLAZE.
Nine Thousand Dollars Damage
I'm IN Few Minutes.

In a Few Minutes.
At about twenty-five minutes pas
eight o'clock last evening there occurred
cutie an exciting fire on the corner OF
Spring and Temple streets in the Allen
Block. 1t appeared that Mrs. D. C.
Scott. who had her dressmaking parlors
in two rooms fronting on Temple street
in the second story, being crowded with
work, had gone to the parlors for the
purpose of finishing some dresses for
this mornings delivery. She lighted her
lamp, which was about two-thirds full,
and placing it at one end of the table
went to work at the other end, with
her back toward the light. A few mo-
ments afterward Mrs. Scott heard a
cracking noise and turning around she
saw the oil spreading over the table and
the lamp chimney breaking to pieces.
Hardly knowing what she was doing she
seized dresses and threw them on
the flames and screamed, but in
spite of her efforts the fire
spread and in a few moments the
two rooms were in mass OF flames. Mr..
Routan who occupied the room adjoining
heard her pounding on his door and
entering endeavored to assist her in
putting out the flames but they had
spread too much and by this time the
smoke began pouring out OF the build
ing and was observed by Officer Little,
who firing his revolver to attract attten'
ton ran to the scene. In very few
moments the streets round about were
crowded thickly with people and it was
not until after Captain Teyler arrived,
some ten minutes after the first alarm
was given, that the alarm was turned in
and after the eng mes arrived on the
scene it was some time before the water
was put through the windows on
Temple street from which the flames
had burst forth and so dangerous did
the fire appear at this time that occu-
pants of the offices in the building began
throwing out their books and papers
hoping to save them. There was no
need for this however for the water soon
reduced the flames to submission
and in few minutes the fire was out.
1t succeeded in completely consuming
everything in Mrs. Scott's parlors, and
had eaten its way across the hallway
where the woodwork was considerably
chArred. The damage up stairs was con-
fined to the rooms of Mrs. Scott and to
the building. Mrs. Scott had about
$1,000 worth of dresses and furniture
and had only succeeded ia saving four
dresses, which she seized as she lett the
room to escape the flames. The damage
to the building was about $1,000 as near
as could be ascertained, for it was sus-
pected that the roof had been materially
injured. Other losses up stairs were
through excitement in throwing about
books and furniture, and probably
amounted to about 5000. Messrs. Fox,
Routan and Longley, official shorthand
reporters, succeeded in saving all their
valuable notes, although the room In
which they were in was slightly
wrecked. The building belonged to the
Allen estate, of which Messrs. Long,
Spence and Kays are executors and was
leased to l.. Harris for nine years the
lease expiring in 1890. 1t was insured
for $4,000 with Messrs. Dobinson Il Fair
child, Broderick, Southern California
Insurance Company and the State In
vestment Insurance Company. The
people down stairs were more largely
damaged from water which leaked
through in myriads of streams on to the
valuable goods. l.. Harris gents
furnishing store, on the corner. was not
seriously damaged, and it was estimated
that the loss would not run over $500,
if it came up to that figure, but the
Boston dry goods store was more seri-
ously injured. 1t is only short time
since $4,000 worth OF rich silks and
satins were carried into the store, and
these were placed in the portion where
the most water came. 1t was estimated
that $50, 900 worth Of these goods were
damaged from $4,000 up to $40. 1000, and
in placing the figure at $4,000 it is
thought that the estimate will not be
any too high. Both of these stores were
partly kept from damage by oilcloth
spread on top of the goods, and the
damage in this instance shows the need
of Fire Patrol, such as is in existence
in San Francisco and other large cities.
where it is found that the goods saved
by means of their operations more than
pays the expenses several times over.
The total loss according to these figures
is about $4,000, of which $4,000 was
caused by water alone.